Ch5 - Something There

"Look."

Draco sat beside Hermione quietly as she spoke.

"Draco," Hermione said softly, jerking Draco out of his trance. "Draco, I have to be honest with you. You are a very good friend toward me – I've been able to tell you everything. But I wanted to ask you something. Who was that poem about?" Draco's eyes became very wide.

"The truth?" Draco breathed. For some reason the truth just spilled out of him: "You. The poem was about you." Hermione gasped, not with surprise, but with satisfaction. "What?" Draco asked.

"I had a premonition," she blurted. Draco's eyes widened. "I had a vision that we were together," she said, smiling. Hermione touched his hand nervously.

Hermione stood. She smiled, yet her eyes were at the floor. Hermione sat in the large, squashy chair next to Draco's.

"What exactly did you see in your premonition?" Draco asked calmly. Hermione gave a start.

"Does it really matter?" she asked, sounding a bit dazed.

"Yes."

Hermione gave a deep breath. And began:

"It happened just before I came to visit you. It was as if I was being controlled by a spirit, and I felt as if I was sucked into a different time. Well – " She paused. Draco nodded for her to continue.

"Go on."

"Okay. I saw us. We were together, in front of the staff table in the Great Hall." Draco frowned with confusion, but let Hermione proceed. "It was Christmas, and we were standing under mistletoe, so we kissed… And then you looked at me and I said something, and you fainted."

Draco leaned forward and cocked his head innocently to the right.

"Me? I've never fainted before – except for when you punched me…You're sure it was me?"

"I'm positively sure," Hermione said. "Nobody else could pull off that hair." Draco grinned slyly.

"Did you enjoy the kiss?" Draco asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I didn't pay attention to that." Hermione lowered her voice and leaned forward. "Er, but then I had another premonition, and you and Harry were fighting, the same year at Christmas, out in the snow – you were actually fighting, though. And I came into the picture, but I don't know what happened after that." Hermione stood up, and Draco stood, also.

"Er," Draco said. The silence between them was deafening. He had to break it. "Meet me in front of your dormitory same time tomorrow. Okay?" Hermione nodded, her face pale. She hugged him quickly and rushed out the door before Draco could say anything else.

Hermione leaned against the wall outside the Slytherin common room, breathing heavily.

'No, Hermione,' she thought. 'You are not saying a word about the third premonition. I know it won't happen."

And having thought that, she strode away to her own common room, hoping to hide her concerns.

"Draco?" He heard a knock on his dormitory door. "It's Hermione. I'm here." Draco opened the door and walked silently down the stairs behind Hermione.

"Hullo," Draco said, standing before Hermione, who was leaning against the stone near the hearth. Hermione smiled and stood up straight.

"Hello, Draco. Why did you want to see me again?" Hermione asked, staring into the roaring fire. Draco bit his lip.

"I wanted to – " he grabbed her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. She pulled away and slammed her head against the wall. She turned bright red and rubbed the spot on the back of her head that hit the stone.

"What was that!" she hissed.

"Nothing," said Draco, unsure of why he had just done what he had done. "I just want you to understand something about me."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, but nodded so that he could continue.

"I do not lie," Draco replied. This was indeed very true. "I can't lie. Not really." He shifted a bit. "I never actually hated you," Draco said. "Actually, I always was jealous that Potter would have the opportunity to go out with a girl that has beautiful eyes and looks past even an extremely handsome face to see personality. Slytherin girls have no personality. They're all exactly alike." Hermione blinked.

"I like you," Hermione said, "but I don't want to be your girlfriend."

"Why not?" he whined, not sounding like his usual self, and more like a whiny little child.

"I - I just don't!" she yelped. Seeing the look on Draco's face, she added, "I don't know you yet." He continued to stare at his feet. "But maybe when school starts I will."

"I wanted to know if this would work," he said, "you and me." She stared at the floor, her arms growing tighter and tighter around her knees.

"There never was a you and me," she said quietly.

Draco held out his hand. "Come sit with me."

"What for Draco?" Hermione said as she got up slowly and settled in the chair across from Draco.

"I'd like to get to know you better."

Throughout a few days, Draco began to learn more and more about Hermione Granger. She even lent him her diary (after ripping out a few pages) for some light reading. In it, she told all about what happened in her life, her feelings about each person she encountered. He returned it on August the twenty-seventh:

"Here you are, Hermione," Draco said. Hermione blushed as she put the little black book in her bag.

"It's not very interesting," Hermione said shyly. Draco smirked that wonderful smirk of his.

"On the contrary, Miss Hermione E. Granger," Draco said smartly. "I especially enjoyed the part about Lockhart." He put on a high voice. "Oh, he is the dreamiest wizard there is - and so smart - "

"I thought I ripped that out!" Hermione squeaked. Draco shook his head and laughed as Hermione stood there with a very humiliated look on her face.

A/N: Sorry about the delay. Just so you know, this is just an intro. I will start the actual plot in a sequel. Oh, and if you want a better story by me, read Blood to Blood. It's my personal fav.